March 2004
* Tuesday the 30th *
We tested cantering for 2km as the event we're going to on April 11th is
about that long. We did it in 5 minutes and 20 seconds, so we were going
370mpm and the cross country speed is only 300mpm. He was fine afterwards,
he wanted to gallop down the beach!
* Monday the 29th *
Day Off.
* Sunday the 28th *
He was great today!! We started with 5 minutes walking, flexion four
on the left, three on the right, walking serpentines, trotting figure of eights
and serpentines, canter figure or eights and serpentines, walking and trotting
leg yield. We did a couple of circles of trot and canter on each rein, but
then did figure of eights because plain circles are boring!! He lowers his
head on the right rein but brings it up on the left rein so we have a bit of
work to do on the left. We went through the NZPCA Junior Test N, stuffed
it up a couple of times, mainly because of me!
* Saturday the 27th *
He was much better today! We started with flexion, walk serpentines,
trot figure of eights and serpentines and then canter figure of eights.
His canter felt really nice! We did trotting circles, lengthening of trot
stride, leg yielding at walk and trot. More trot circles, he wouldn't come
on the bit though. We practised the NZPCA HT DC Test 1/1996 and it wasn't too
great, mainly because I had no arena to work in! I started walking back,
but then I decided to turn around and do a little trot, and he went on the
bit! I'm like, ok, why now? so I walked him home.
* Friday the 26th *
Basically the same as yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow will go better.
*
Thursday the 25th *
He wasn't being too great today. We did most of the things we did in the
lessons but he wasn't becoming nice and soft like he was in the lesson. I
went on the sand to look at his lengthening and he's doing it great! He
over tracked by about 2 cm (between the two hoof prints) once.
*
Wednesday the 24th *
Went down to the beach, he was great. We did a little galloping but then I
decided to measure his speed, to see what 300mpm feels like. We cantered
500m in 1 minute 30, so we were doing 333mpm.
Had three days off as I was on camp.
* Saturday the 20th *
Had another lesson. Did basically the same thing, but I don't think Red
was going as well today than he did yesterday. Probably still tired from
yesterday using muscles he hadn't used in months!
* Friday the 19th *
Rode up to the Pony Club for a lesson with Nancy Jack. It was a great
lesson! First we did flexion of the neck, Red was a lot stiffer on his
left side! We did circles around her at trot, getting the flexion, and
then started leg yielding at walk and trot. Red was so good! His
trot was getting really springy and it felt great! She said 8 or 9 for our
trot, but the canter wasn't good, barely a 5! We have another lesson
tomorrow.
* Thursday the 18th *
His canter wasn't too great, but then we started doing LOTS of
transitions. First walk, trot, walk. Then walk, trot, canter, trot,
walk. And trot, canter, trot. His canter improved so much! We
were doing canter serpentines with only a couple of trot strides and he got his
leads every time! He is improving heaps!
* Wednesday the 17th *
Basically same warm up, a little longer, and his canter was much better!
He wasn't trying to go faster or anything. We did a few circles at canter,
and then we did figure of eight trots, and moved into canter, with a change to
trot through the center. By the end is trot to canter transitions were
much better than they were at the start.
* Tuesday the 16th *
Walked down to the beach (ten minutes) and started with walk serpentines with a
long rein. He was really good! I could touch the rein once and he
would continue in the bend until I touched the other rein to do go the other
direction. (Much better on his right side.) We started trotting and
did figure of eights on a long rein, and then started serpentines. Canter
was horrible! He wanted to canter really fast, I tried on both reins, and
left rein was much worse than the right. I slowed him to a trot and did
serpentines for approximately five minutes of serpentines. Tried canter
again and he was so much better! I had to have quite a strong contact
though. After we went on both reins, we walked for 20 minutes and then did
a little of trot/canter, just along the reserve. Rode an hour and a half
overall.
* Monday the 15th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted ten minutes, cantered five minutes.
* Sunday the 14th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted ten minutes, cantered three and three
quarter minutes.
* Saturday the 13th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted ten minutes, cantered two and a half
minutes, though he went in to a gallop for a few of seconds on the last set.
* Friday the 12th *
The pony club thing ran late, so I wasn't able to ride. I guess Friday's
will have to be his new day off. The saddler came to look at his saddle,
and he says it fits perfectly fine! So.. it's a mystery to us why his
saddle sits/slips so far forward.
* Thursday the 11th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted ten minutes, cantered one and a quarter
minutes.
* Wednesday the 10th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted ten minutes. (Only five minutes
was planned, but he was very full of energy, even at the very end!)
* Tuesday the 9th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted three and three quarter minutes.
* Monday the 8th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted two and a half minutes.
* Sunday the 7th *
Day Off.
* Saturday the 6th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted two and a half minutes.
* Friday the 5th *
Rode him for an hour and a half, trotted one and a quarter minutes.
* Thursday the 4th *
Rode him for an hour and a half at walk.
* Wednesday the 3rd *
Rode him for one hour and 15 minutes at walk.
* Tuesday the 2nd *
Rode him for one hour at walk.
* Monday the 1st *
Rode him out for 40 minutes at walk. He wanted to trot a little bit going
away from home but mostly on the way back.